


Ghosts of the West

by JesterMonkey



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Couple, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, One Shot Collection, Romance, Still deciding if there is going to be smut, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-10-15 01:15:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17519381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JesterMonkey/pseuds/JesterMonkey
Summary: Set in an Alternate Universe, Arthur Morgan travels around the country with his partner, the one and only Van der Linde gang member who knows that he is alive and stays at his side. The couple hope to spend the rest of their lives together and stay out of trouble while they still can.





	1. Valentine

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t finished the game yet so there’s probably some character and plot stuff I’m missing here but I’ll try my best to keep plot specific stuff out of this series to avoid the headache.   
> This is an AU wherein Arthur and Reader (ie *~YOU~*) spend the rest of their lives together after the Van der Linde gang has disbanded. But it totally ruins John’s arc if Arthur is still alive so I’ll say that Arthur is presumed dead and pretends to be dead because “the old Arthur is dead” or “I’ve left that life behind me”. Huh? Tuberculosis? Never heard of her.  
> Reader is more akin to an ‘Abigail’ than she is a ‘Sadie’ in my mind but you’re the one reading this so imagine yourself however you like; hopefully in a dress because I say you’re wearing a dress lol.

You were running as fast as you could and yet you weren’t fast enough to outrun him. You’d been figuratively running for most of your life so you’d have thought that your literal running wouldn’t so closely resemble a naked toddler running away from their bath. And yet it did, you couldn’t help giggling as you ran away from Arthur. You lifted your skirts up higher and ran faster, you could barely feel your legs or your feet hit the ground. It took a lot to avoid looking behind you and risking getting caught, even though you could hear the faint galloping of horses behind you, you had to keep running. He’d also been running for most of his life but without the people he’d been running with, he was simply running in circles until he found a reason to stop running. But for now, he was running behind you and ready to strike.

“Damn it all!” You panted, hearing the horse moving almost directly behind you.

In an instant, a lasso wrapped itself around you and tripped you. You toppled to the ground helplessly as the rope tightened around you; you couldn’t stop giggling to yourself as you writhed on the grass. You could hear a low chuckling and the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards you and you knew he’d give you hell for this.

“You enjoy yourself?” A gruff voice said.

You rolled onto your side and looked up at the tall figure, the sun directly behind him casting a fascinating silhouette. “You look good from this angle, Arthur. I can’t see your face.” You teased with a sly grin.

“Is that right?” He said with a rather smug tone in his voice.

Still holding a tight grip on the rope, Arthur knelt down beside you and sat you up with an arm behind your back. His face was so close to yours you could feel the hot air escaping his nose hitting your skin. You smiled sweetly at him while he struggled to conceal the soft grin on his face. This man had been through so much and you could see it all in every scar and line on his face. You couldn’t help yourself, you just had to lean in and kiss him. Tenderly pressing and massaging your lips into his seemed to catch him off guard and yet he pushed himself deeper into the kiss with a faint moan. You tried pulling your arms out of the bind you were in but he pulled even tighter. Arthur pulled out of the kiss and gently pecked your lips one more time for good measure. He smiled awkwardly and put his forehead on yours. The quiet rustling of leaves, squawking of crows and Arthur’s gentle embrace made everything feel safe.

It wasn’t always like this, so peaceful and cheery. Before, having to deal with the group and all the shenanigans that went along with it. Arthur seemed nothing more than an errand boy and a bloodhound in the months leading up to the split of the Van der Linde gang. He didn’t like to talk about it much but you knew he still thought about it. His world had changed so much within the last few months and the only constant in his life at the moment was you. You were grateful to the gang for bringing you into their little family in your time of need but in the end you were more thankful to have met Arthur Morgan. You wished you’d had the chance to thank Uncle for bringing you in and introducing you to Dutch and Arthur in the first place. It was easy for an old man to take pity on a pretty bar maid who let him have all the drinks he wanted and take her away from a dire situation.

“Arthur?” You said softly. “You know I love you, right?”

“I know it.” He beamed. “Though, sometimes I can’t believe it’s true.”

You kissed his cheek and he looked at you with uncharacteristically tender eyes. “And you love me right?”

“I guess!” He jokingly moaned. “I’m stuck with ya, may as well make somethin’ of it.”

With that, Arthur dropped you to the ground and stood up to look down on you with a smug grin.

“Oh hardy ha! Very funny!” You said sarcastically. “Now, let me go already!”

He cocked his head, giving you an evil look. He bent down and rolled you onto your stomach, chuckling as he went. Before you could ask him what he was up to, you quickly realised that he hog-tying you. You blushed feeling his strong hands on you as he tied you up. He held into your waist firmly and deadlifted you onto his shoulders, carrying you back towards the horse. You kicked your feet weakly in protest.

“Arthur Morgan!” You barked through uncontrollable giggles. “What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” He said roughly stowing you onto his new horse. He smacked your buttocks before getting onto the saddle. “I’m gonna take you into town! It’ll be fun!”

The horse started to trot, Arthur taking you off road and through the woods. You were already being assaulted by the low hanging branches and bushes of the Cumberland Forest.

“Why’d you tie me up, you damn fool?!” You screamed. “This wasn’t supposed to be a REAL kidnapping!”

Arthur turned to face you. “Darlin’, if this was a real kidnapping you’d be dead somewhere by now. You’re lucky it’s only me.”

“Yeah, well I ain’t feeling so lucky now.” You groaned. “Where are you goin’ anyway?”

“I was thinkin’ Valentine or Strawberry. What do you think?” Arthur mused.

“Valentine’s closer.” You said quickly.

Arthur came up onto a road and continued to follow it westward.

“I was actually thinking Strawberry, (Your Name).” Arthur interjected. “It’d be nice to take such a scenic ride together. And besides, I’m the one with the reins.”

You frowned. “At this time of day? By the time we get there it’ll be nightfall; that is if the wild animals don’t get us first!”

“We’ll be fine!” Arthur chuckled. “I’ll protect you.”

You looked down to the dirt road. “Alright. If you’re so sure about it, I’ll trust you.” You said weakly.

The horse continued down the path, gradually moving slower until she eventually came to a stop. You looked up to Arthur, he had his head lowered. He suddenly groaned and turned the horse around to head towards Valentine according to the sign post. You could hear him grumbling under his breath; you could faintly hear a ‘damn it woman’ and ‘you’re a damn fool’ coming from him and you grinned. You felt a pit in your stomach however, you clearly struck a nerve.

He was incredibly protective of you, more so now that it was just the two of you. Arthur was loyal to a fault at times but he was unconditionally loyal to those who he loved and trusted like family. Now all that was left of that family was you if anyone could even consider a man and his lover much of a family. At the very least, you were happy, healthy and alive.

The sun began to bathe the landscape in a beautiful orange light as nightfall approached.

Arthur took a moment to stop the horse and take in the sights. “It’s beautiful, ain’t it?”

“Indeed it is.” You sighed. “You’re just beautiful too, Arthur.”

“Beautiful? Hah! She’s finally gone insnane. How can you even tell from there?” He chuckled, continuing towards Valentine.

“Arthur, I ain’t stupid. I haven’t forgotten what you look like, just because I can’t see you all that well doesn’t mean I can’t see you at all.” You looked to his back and grinned. His wide shoulders and muscular build sent shivers down your spine. “The view of ya from behind ain’t so bad anyways.” You cooed.

Arthur laughed as he kicked the horse to move at a gallop. Valentine was fast approaching. There were a multitude of men leaving the town and you passed each one of them by with a fake smile on your face; you payed no mind to the men who congratulated the ‘newlyweds’. You dreaded the thought of Arthur dumping you in the mud to untie you as you remembered the state of Valentine’s main road. He hitched the horse in front of Valentine’s hotel and fed it some carrots. You could feel so many eyes on you as Arthur lifted you off of the horse, walked up to the saloon and gently dropped you onto the wooden floor outside the door. He untied you and helped you onto your feet.

“Thanks for embarrassing me like that, you damn idiot!” You said roughly brushing dry dirt off of your dress. “Coulda just untied me outside of town, but no. Gotta do it right in front of everybody!”

“Oh but where’s the fun in that.” Arthur beamed putting an arm around your waist and leading you inside. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”

“You want something to eat too?” You asked softly. “Seeing as we’re out here enjoyin’ ourselves.”

“Sure, why not?” Arthur said as he went over to the bar. “A beer and a stew for me and my lady.”

You smiled standing beside him at the bar. You held on tightly to his arm, the barber in the corner caught your eye and you began to play with his hair which had grown considerably long while you were camping in the Cumberland Forest. You both needed baths and a room, the money was quickly starting to add up. The bartender handed you your food and drinks. Before you could take a sip of the beer, Arthur bashfully clinked your bottles together and sculled the whole thing down.

“So what’re you thinkin’?” He said softly, making a start on his stew.

“Well I suppose a bed and bath.” You began.

“Obviously.”

“Could probably do with some more supplies if we’re going to be headin’ off after this.”

“Okay.”

“Horse could use some care while we’re at it.”

“Uh-huh.” He replied hesitantly. “Anything else?”

You smiled reaching up to his head and gently brushed your fingers through his hair. “You might want a shave and a haircut.”

“Damn it, woman!” He chuckled, probably thrown off by the sensation you stroking his head. “I’m not made out of money.”

“I can pay for the supplies then.” You sighed. “I have enough to pay for it.”

“No, you don’t need to do that. We just-” he hesitated for a moment. “We just need some more money, is all.”

“As of right now, Arthur… We have more than enough.” You put a hand on his shoulder. “And even if we really did need more…Well, we’ll work somethin’ out. Maybe you could look for some bounties or honest work and I could-”

“No.” He cut you off. “I don’t want you doin’ that.”

You cocked a brow at him as you took a drink.

“I don’t want you doin’…well…doin’ that. You don’t need to, not anymore.” He sighed. You looked to one another tenderly. Arthur smiled weakly. “I’ll be back in a minute, you just wait here.”

“Okay.” You smiled sweetly at him as he left you to eat alone and in silence.

When you finished your food you ordered another round of drinks. Looking around the bar you could see lots of men in small groups. Some groups were drinking or playing games while others were being solicited by working women. You could’ve been doing that, it would’ve been easy money especially if they were too drunk to get their pants off. Of course Arthur wouldn’t let you, he was too protective and too in love with you to let another man lay his hands on you.

Speaking of other men laying their hands on you; you were approached by two men.

“Hey there, sweet.” The one best characterised by his foul odour said. “I see your friend there left you all alone.”

“Would you care for some real company?” Said the other who’s only distinguishing feature was a lack of head hair.

“Yeah, some real company from some real men?” The foul smelling one said jovially.

You grinned. They were so drunk they could barely stand upright without wobbling and yet they were able to form near perfect sentences.

“Of course.” You smiled sweetly. “Let me know when you find ‘em.”

The two men stared blankly at you.

“What? Are you boys talking about yourselves?” You chuckled. “I’ve seen manlier schoolgirls.”

You took a swig of your beer, sensing the confusion radiating from the two of them. Looking over to the bartender, you could see his eyes widening as he stared at something behind you. You gulped audibly as a hand gripped your shoulder tightly.

“What the hell did you say to me, you bitch?!” The bald one growled. “Just who in the hell do you think you are?”

“Leave the lady alone, gents.” The bartender’s weak attempt to intervene did nothing.

“She probably thinks she’s a Queen with that mouth of hers!” The stinky one howled.

You turned to the men and smiled smugly. “For all you know I-”

Before you could finish your sentence, the bald one roughly grabbed your chin and pinched your cheeks in his sweaty hand. With the other hand he held a knife to your neck. He pushed you against the bar, the bartender becoming more defensive by the minute and giving the men weak threats.

“How about I cut out your tongue for talking to me like that, huh?” The bald one boomed, his face mere inches away from yours. “Bet you wouldn’t want that now, would ya?!”

“HEY!” Came a deep and mighty roar. “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY WOMAN! NOW!”

The two men recoiled from you, but still kept a threatening stance. Arthur charged across the saloon to your side, he blocked you from the men.

“Gents, settle down now.” Said the bartender.

Arthur glared at you. “I leave for a second to get a god damn haircut and you’re already startin’ shit!”

“It looks lovely, dear.” You said bluntly. “They came up to me first, anyhow.”

Arthur directed his attention to the men. “This true?”

“Not so tough now that you got your big oaf to protect ya, huh Princess?!” Boomed the smelly one.

“Alright, break it off or take it outside.” The bartender said, tapping Arthur’s shoulder. “God knows we need no more fights tonight.”

Arthur scowled at the men, he reached behind to grab his beer and took a swig. He took a moment to look over the two men, and calculating his odds at winning against the two of them. Arthur shook his head and finished off the beer. “Let’s get this over with then.” He mumbled.

You paid the bartender as the men walked outside to begin the fight. Before the door had even closed the fight broke out in the middle of the street. A small crowd gathered outside by the door, you barely managed to squeeze through the horde of men to see Arthur punching the bald man who was pinned to the ground. The foul smelling one came up behind him and punched Arthur in the back of the head.

‘Damn coward.’ You thought to yourself as the men duked it out. Though Arthur was completely outnumbered he was still doing miraculously well. You cringed watching the brutality of it all, Arthur wailing on the two men like a mountain cat. A man beside you tapped your shoulder.

“Hey missy, one of these fools is your husband right?” He said.

You sighed. “Yeah, one of those fools is mine. He’s the one currently on the ground right now” You said as Arthur leapt onto his feet and tackled the bald one into the ground.

“He’s a damn good fighter.” He mused.

“This isn’t the first time he’s done this in this town.” You chuckled. “You might as well be paying him to do this at this point.”

The man laughed at your comment as the crowd cheered. Arthur was straddling the smelly one and beating his face to a pulp, you cringed when he dealt the final blow, knocking him out cold. The bald man panicked and began running away as Arthur turned to face him.

“GO ON! GET!” Arthur roared as the crowd dispersed back into the saloon, applauding him as they went. As you walked up to Arthur he wiped dirt and blood from his mouth, he tenderly held your face in his beaten, bloody hands and kissed you. “You alright?”

“I’m fine, Arthur. The real question is; are YOU alright?” You said softly. You looked over to the smelly man, laying on his back in the dirt and kicked his arm. “They ain’t but how are you?”

Arthur gently held your hands in his and chuckled. “I’ll be much better after a hot bath.”

You smiled warmly at his as he stepped over the body and headed towards the hotel. He pet his horse as he walked up the stairs to the foyer. He paid for a bath and a room for the night before leading you to the bath room. Without hesitation, Arthur began undressing once you closed the door. You blushed, taking in the sight of him. He turned to look at you and grinned when he saw you staring. He continued to undress, slower this time. His new haircut was very different to the long locks that he had grown over three months, however it was well complimented by his short beard. You were so distracted by his hair you failed to notice his naked state; strong and muscular, hanging proudly as he stepped into the bath. He hissed in pain as he gently sunk his body into the hot water.

You smiled softly at him and blushed, you’d be standing and staring at him for far too long. You quickly rummaged through Arthur’s satchel and pulled out the bottles of rum and whiskey he had and gently set them on the caddy. Then, you knelt down beside Arthur and he looked to you with a content half-smile.

“Did you like what you saw?” He chuckled. “Couldn’t help but notice you staring at me like you’d never seen any man naked before.”

You blushed, putting a hand onto his forearm. You’d seen each other naked while you were bathing or in incredibly intimate moments shared late at night but the sight of him naked never failed to enchant you.

“You just have that effect on me, Morgan. Let’s leave it at that.” You hummed. You looked down to his hand, his knuckles were red and bleeding slightly. You clicked your tongue as you tenderly held his hand and brought it to your lips to kiss the knuckles. “I’m so sorry Arthur. I didn’t mean to start any trouble…I was just-”

“Running your damn mouth?” He said bluntly. He sighed and gripped your hand tighter, bringing it to his mouth and kissing your fingers. He smiled sweetly at you. “Won’t you join me, my lady?”

You grinned. You nodded and carefully stood up, slowly peeling back the layers of your dress and undergarments. You stepped away from the tub and make quite the show of it, though you felt ridiculous while you did it; Arthur didn’t seem to mind. Undressing became painfully slow for you, on one hand you were starting to feel cold and in desperate need of a good bath and on the other you were starting to get hot and bothered thinking about lying next to him in the bath.

There was a knock at the door. “Need any help?”

You tried to hold back laughter and you cupped your hands over your mouth and looked to Arthur as he politely decline the offer. Once you were naked you gently stepped into the tub and rested your back onto his chest. You sighed, feeling the sensation of the hot water and Arthur’s body on your skin. His chest and leg hair tickled.

You carefully reached forward and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, handing it to Arthur who opened it and took a swig. You reached an arm up and gently stroked the back of Arthur’s neck with delicate and soft strokes.

“It’d be a real shame if anyone needed a bath right now.” You sighed. “I could stay like this all night.”

Arthur kissed your head and hummed in agreement. He took another sip of the rum before handing it to you and you took a sip before placing it back on the caddy. You decided to spend a few minutes actually scrubbing yourselves, though you did most of the scrubbing. You scrubbed all of the dirt off of your arms and legs while Arthur took the liberty of washing your hair and ensuring that you did in fact have breasts. You scrubbed Arthur very thoroughly. First, washing his hair before moving down to his shoulders and arms, being gentle around the tender spots where he’d been beaten, After scrubbing his chest slowly and rather sensually, you scrubbed your face and Arthur scrubbed his. When you started scrubbing Arthur’s legs you could tell that he was getting excited. If his erection didn’t clue you in, the hungry way he looked at you certainly did.

You blushed, taking the bottle of rum in hand and smiling timidly. He smiled, kissing your cheek and reaching past you for the bottle of whiskey. You clinked the bottles together and drank in the bath until the bubbles had gone and the water was luke-warm. By the time you put your clothes back on, Arthur had calmed down. As you left the bath room, Arthur put his arm around your shoulder and leaned into your ear.

“For a second there, I thought we were gonna be ruttin’ like pigs in that tub.” He whispered.

You leaned into his ear. “We still could if you behave.” Your words were slurred, that rum did you no favours.

Climbing up the stairs and heading towards your room was an effort. You leaned on Arthur for support and he leaned on you in the exact same manner. Bursting into the hotel bedroom, Arthur made quick work taking off all of his clothes and diving into the bed in his union suit. You smiled as he groaned, lying back on the bed. You carefully removed your skirts and sat down beside him in your drawers and chemise.

You struggled to remember the last time you had slept in an honest to God bed. The last instance you could remember was when you were working in a brothel, even then you barely slept on it. When you were with the gang you were resigned to a bed roll or in those nights when Arthur invited you to his tent, you’d sleep with him. You’d only made love with him at camp once, it was the first and only time because the next day Sean kept giving Arthur shit and asking about it. It was a lot easier to fuck like it was nobody’s business now that there was the two of you, however there was the element of danger that an animal or person could interrupt. In a way, that was what made the whole experience all the more exhilarating.

Lying with Arthur on a bedroll or cuddling up with him next to a fire was more than enough. You were just glad to have someone like him in your life.

You smiled, gently reaching your hand to his face and gently stroking his chin. He leaned into your hand and sighed, closing his eyes.

“Feel better?” You asked softly.

He nodded, chin still in your hand.

You shifted yourself on the bed, leaning down to kiss his forehead before laying down beside him. Pulling yourself in closer and putting a hand on his chest, you sighed happily. Arthur nuzzled his head against yours.

“You’re alright, darlin’.” He yawned. “I’ve got you.”

“Thank you, Arthur.” Your eyes began to flutter closed. You traced your hand down from his chest to his stomach, fingers tracing the lower buttons of his union suit.

Arthur’s cock twitched, pulling at the cotton fabric. Arthur quickly snatched your hand away and rested it back on his chest.

“I’m…I can’t (Your Name).” Arthur said weakly. He looked at you with glassy eyes. “Too…God, too God damn tired.”

You smiled. You brought your hand up to his cheek and gently leaned in to kiss him. The kiss lasted no longer than a second but it felt like an eternity.

“Good night, Arthur.” You yawned. “I love you.

Arthur gently held your hand in his. “I love you too.” He said softly. “Now get yourself some sleep. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”


	2. Are we out of the woods yet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter. I spent ages writing it and making sure that it was good enough to post here. I'm hoping to be writing more fluff chapters into this story in future, but it doesn't hurt to have a little excitement and mild character development for the reader.
> 
> I like to have my reader stand-ins to have some kind of personality so that the events of the story don't feel like they happen to her and she's nothing more than an cardboard cutout of you, dear reader. So this chapter is more establishing the kind of person the reader would be in my mind.

This was hardly the life you had imagined for yourself when you were a young girl. She never thought that she would end up a barmaid, working girl and then an outlaw. She never dreamed of spending her life camping in the wilderness or being shot at once in a blue moon. Rather, she had high hopes of living lavishly with a dashing husband and many, many children running about a brilliant mansion. She had always hoped for a life full of riches; who doesn’t? Although they were the fantasies and dreams of an innocent little girl, looking around and bearing witness to the majesty of the landscape surrounding the humble tent and fire, you felt like you were living a rich and fulfilling life. It was a beautiful place to camp; an opening by a river completely surrounded by dense forest and far from any major town. This place felt like a sanctuary for the time being. However, it was ridiculously cold.

Gently cradling a cup of coffee by the fire, your eyes drifted towards Arthur. His thick coat made it virtually impossible to admire his stocky frame but you were easily impressed by his determination to catch a fish for breakfast. The serene atmosphere soothed you but left you feeling drowsy, even after your second cup of coffee. You shook your head, downing the last of your drink. You needed to move, lest you fall asleep by the fire.

Arthur hadn’t moved from his spot in over half an hour. Leaving the gentle warmth of the fire and braving the cold morning air, you walked towards the riverbank and stood next to Arthur. You began to shiver hopelessly and immediately regretted this decision until Arthur gave you a warm smile.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” He said softly as you kissed his cheek. You couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not; you were well aware of the dark circles under your eyes and the horrific tangle of hair on your head. “I didn’t know you were awake yet.”

“Really? You didn’t hear a single thing?”

The image of you cursing and swearing at the cold flashed in your mind. People in another state would have heard that.

Arthur shrugged amiably. “Guess I was just busy fishin’.” He said, turning his attention back to the water. “I’m not too good at this.”

“How many have you caught?” You sighed, looking out into the water. Arthur was either being annoyingly humble or incredibly stupid; this was the same man who had caught three giant Bass in the past.

“Three but only one worth keeping.” He yawned.

“Surely one fish is enough for the both of us, Arthur. Come on, I’m getting hungry!”

“Easy now! Fishin’ is all about patience, it’s a lot of standing around and waiting for the fish to come to you.” Arthur chuckled softly.

You folded your arms. “It sure seems borin’.”

“Yeah, it is.” He smirked. His gaze turned to the trees. “It really is. But I dunno, it sure feels relaxing .”

You looked to Arthur. His expression was soft as he stared blankly into the water. You smiled, he certainly needed peaceful moments like this.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it then.” You said as you walked back to the gentle warmth of the campfire.

Arthur’s fishing rod jolted sharply as you sat down.

These had been some of the most peaceful you had had in weeks. Travelling north was rife with an uncomfortable air. You had an argument with Arthur over something that seemed so melodramatic upon reflection. Arthur had made a habit of rescuing you from any and all threatening situations while you had made a habit of needing to be rescued. You were angry that he was always fighting your battles and Arthur was annoyed that you somehow managed to find a fight where there normally wouldn’t be one. This tension boiled over several days through passive-aggressive comments and actions until one night, frustrated with your shenanigans, a drunken Arthur abandoned you on the side of the road after yet another bar fight.

Awful and hurtful words were said between you that night and you had been the worst. Your furious, drunken ranting spat out at him like venom and Arthur’s booming voice shook your entire being. You had simply had enough of each other and the intense lovers spat came to an uncomfortable end when you found him in two days later playing poker in another town. A kindly gentleman had offered to ride you into town after taking pity on the lone woman walking at the side of the road. He’d even offered to buy you a drink because he was so taken with you.

Arthur didn’t like that too much. Arthur had grabbed your wrist, stormed out of the saloon and rode out of town to talk with you.

The two of you had explored an array of emotions over a single conversation. One moment, the talk was heated as he barked his complaints at you and you shouted yours back to him. In another, you were crying and he was desperately trying to console you. Then, you were laughing and discussing how stupid the whole situation had been. After that, you were in a tight embrace and passionately kissing and declaring your love for one another before you burst into a fit of rage at being abandoned by him with Arthur jealously chastising you for drinking with another man. Finally, you had calmed down and began formally apologising to one another in an incredibly awkward manner.

The aftermath of this made Arthur incredibly tense and pushed you into a state of mild self-loathing. The weeks that followed were uncomfortable but it had given you a chance to face the uncomfortable reality of your situation. You had made a conscientious effort to try and make it up to Arthur and avoid any trouble where you could. It seemed like Arthur was trying to make a change as well. For a start, he taught you how to defend yourself with a gun through a thinly disguised hunting lesson.

Fighting with Arthur was always awful, he had a tendency to internalise all of the thoughts and feelings to further validate his own self-loathing.

“This’ll do quite nicely, don’t you think?” Arthur said kneeling next to you by the fire. He immediately brandished a hunting knife started filleting the fish and cooking them over the fire. Plain fish…Yay?

“Could do with some seasoning.” You grumbled.

Arthur glared at you, borderline offended by your comment.  “Well, excuse me your highness!” He whined, grinning at you.

You smiled sweetly back at him as he handed you two pieces of fish fillet. You took a bite, being careful not to choke on a fish bone. Last time that happened, Arthur had to shove his hand down your throat and carefully pull it out. While an interesting experience, it was not one to be replicated any time soon.

The fish tasted bland and flaky, but it was better than nothing at all. However, eating nothing but small game, fish and turkey completely plain was driving you near insane. You didn’t know how Arthur could stand it, all it needed was a little bit of herb and it would be tolerable.

“Are you alright?” Arthur said suddenly.

“What?”

“I said, ‘ _you alright’_.” Arthur’s voice was soft and low. “You were just staring like you were in your own little world.”

You blushed. “I’m fine, Arthur. Guess I was just thinkin’ too hard.”

“What about?” He asked. You looked to him with a grin and he blushed, hiding his face underneath his hat. “If…If you don’t mind me askin’, that is.”

You smiled. “It’s really nice here. It’s so peaceful here and we’re both doing alright. It’s not like it was a while ago.” Arthur cocked his head, prompting further explanation. “You know what I mean, don’t play dumb. Things were rough for a while there.” You said, sighing.

“Darlin’, we put all that behind us.” Arthur said quickly, looking down. “I ain’t proud of what happened and I’m not gonna pretend like it never happened. But you shouldn’t be worryin’ about all that now. I’m not worryin’!”

“I know.” You sighed. “I just feel awful. The things I said and did to ya were just awful, Arthur.”

Arthur smiled weakly. “You know who you’re talkin’ to, right?” He sat down on the ground and put an arm around you. “I’m not angry, (Your Name). Stop your worryin’ and stop bein’ a dumbass.”

If you were going to confide in anyone regarding moving on from past mistakes, Arthur would be the man to go to.

You made a start on your second fillet while Arthur finished his third. Arthur’s arm was still wrapped tightly around you as he timidly rested his head against yours. He sighed deeply as he nuzzled his face against your hair. You tried not to laugh as you felt the sensation of Arthur breathing heavily against your ear.

“Boy, are you sniffing me?” You chuckled, taking the last bit of your fillet. “What in the world…”

“You’re all cold, I’m just warmin’ you up!” Arthur chuckled. He squeezed you tighter.

You wriggled in his arms. “I’m tryna eat my damn breakfast, Morgan! Let me be!”

“And _I’m_ tryin’ to get some dessert!”

You pulled your head away from Arthur’s face and looked at him, concerned with what he was doing. He looked to you with soft eyes, a smile gently crept across his face.

“What?” You hissed. “What in the hell are you doin’, Arthur?!”

Arthur was completely silent, yet his expression said more than his own words could express. You knew that look, you’d seen it many times before. Soft smile. Teary eyes that scanned over every line and curve of your face. He was thinking about you. Arthur’s mind was probably saying something self-deprecating like _‘how did a man like me ever get so lucky?’_ He was very easy to read like that.

“Aw…C’mere!” He put an arm under you and effortlessly pulled you onto his lap. You tried pushing him away, feeling deathly confused. “Can’t I hold you, woman?” He groaned as he started kissing your chin.

“You’re lookin’ at me like you’re gonna eat me!” You shrieked as he moved down to kiss your neck.

“Oh darlin’…I _am_ gonna eat ya!”

The bristles from his beard started tickling your neck and you screamed and squirmed in Arthur’s lap. You felt simultaneously hot and cold from the sensation. Arthur held you down firmly and struggled to wrangle your kicking legs in one arm.

“Arthur! Stop it!” You yelled through tickled laughter. “Stop it right now!”

Arthur sighed, holding you in his arms, he stood up straight with a hearty grunt. The move must’ve taken a lot of strength and somehow you were surprised that Arthur was able to achieve such a feat. Your face felt flushed as Arthur gently set you down. Typically when you looked at Arthur, you never saw a man who was prone to bouts of passion. He wasn’t like that when he was with Dutch, even when you were together with the gang he never did it. It was endearing and you truly felt as if this man loved you, but it had a tendency to get annoying after some time.

You gently planted your feet on the ground. “Why are you like this?” You chuckled, blushing into his chest. “You’re making me feel like a damn fool!”

Arthur cradled your face in his hands. “Now you know how I feel.” He beamed.

“The hell is that supposed to mean, Arthur?” You said brushing his hands off of your face.

“Bein’ around you, I feel like a dumbass.” Arthur said weakly. “A man like me doesn’t deserve a woman like you.”

“Oh hush.” You sighed, kissing him gently. “You’re worth a lot more than you think you are, Mr Morgan. To me, you’re worth your weight in gold.”

Arthur hid his smile by kissing you delicately, his hands at either side of your face. You didn’t mind that they were filthy, coated with thin layers of dirt and mud. You could feel the warmth of Arthur’s embrace and the heat of the fire contrasted against the cool of the wind. Suddenly, Arthur tore his face from you and squinted as he stared past your head.

His lips gently mouthed his thoughts and you felt like he was going insane.

“Speaking of people worth their weight in gold,” he mused. “I have a bounty to hunt.”

“Who is it and how much?”

“No one too important. It’ll be over quick and easy.” He said carefully peeling himself away from your embrace. “I’ll be back soon.”

You grinned and folded your arms as you watched him march to the horse and mount it. In the back of your mind, you dreaded being stuck at camp, bored and alone.

“Come back in one piece or not at all.” You said bluntly.

Arthur tipped his hat to you with a sigh. “That’s usually how this goes.” The horse started to trot. “You behave yourself now!”

You couldn’t get up to much trouble by yourself near a riverbank. Arthur would be gone for a few hours so you made it your sole duty to keep yourself entertained and out of harm’s way. Though, trouble always seemed to find you wherever you went. But what could possibly go wrong? Surely, in a place like this, nothing bad could happen to you.

You had spent the last hour wandering along the river and into the forest looking for herbs and other plants that would be of use to you; you found plenty of mint which would certainly come in handy by the time it was dark. After searching the area three more times, you were certain that you had pillaged as much as you could from the wilderness. You rummaged through all of your belongings hoping to find something to amuse yourself with, finding throwing knives in the process. Although you would have preferred practice shooting a rifle, you were less likely to hurt yourself horrifically with knives.

You were glad that no one was around to see your initial attempts to throw the knives at a tree. Arthur would have given you hell for how you were seemingly incapable of hitting a tree that was only five feet away from you. Your mind began to wander, imagining scenarios wherein members of the Van der Linde gang were teaching you how to do this and what they would be like. These assumptions were based purely on your opinion of them and your impression of them. You didn’t know these people too well at all, you hardly knew any of them on a personal level. However, your mind still wandered and projected what their advice would have been.

From the few interactions you had with Hosea, you figured that if he was placed in this situation, he would be an excellent teacher. He practically raised Arthur and he turned out the way he did because of Dutch and Hosea, surely Hosea would be patient enough to teach a woman who was inept in combat how to defend herself. Charles wouldn’t have taught you of his own admission, someone would have told him to teach you but you figured that he would give you helpful advice. You thought the same would apply to Javier, though he seemed the sort to show you the basics and then leave you to your own devices. Bill would have been useless, preferring to make small talk rather than teach self-defence to a woman. You knew that Dutch was the hands-on sort, especially when it came to women. Teaching you how to throw a knife would have been the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with you, putting his hand on your hand to show you the necessary techniques. You grimaced as you thought of Micah attempting to do the same.

You had spent half an hour assaulting a tree and felt confident enough to try hitting a living target. By the river, you spotted some ducks that would make for an excellent meal with some of those herbs you picked.

Creeping towards the riverbank, knives at the ready, you took aim. You crouched down low and slowly stepped towards the ducks resting by the water. You bit your lip and furrowed as you took aim. Throwing the knife, you were disappointed when it flew too far away from your target and scared them away. Trekking over to the area where the knife landed, you couldn’t find it so it was lost amongst the tall grass and mounds of dirt. You groaned at this realisation and walked back to the campsite defeated. You then spent the next half hour eating a can of peaches and sulking in front of the fire.

As the hours wore on and Arthur still nowhere to be seen, the day gradually got warmer and you had spent most of your time taking naps, reading or playing with the throwing knives.

Eventually, you found yourself ankle deep in the river splashing water onto your body. Undressing down to your drawers, you marched to the riverbank, dipping your feet into the cool water and squealing at the pins and needles the cold gave you. You began splashing water onto your face and scrubbing away at the dirt Arthur had put there prior. You washed as much as you were able to. You had considered getting naked and swimming in the river to bathe yourself, however the cold water on your feet proved that that was not going to happen any time soon. Besides, Arthur could return any minute now.

You heard the clip-clopping of a horse making it’s way towards the river. You panicked, bolting towards the tall grass along the river bed. You felt a pit in your stomach; it wasn’t him. Instead, a young man on a horse rode towards the camp and looked around with a wide grin on his face. You frowned as the man hopped off of his horse and inspected the camp.

“There’s still a fire goin’…Mustn’t be too far off.” The man mumbled to himself. “Guess we should be quick then.”

As you watched the man rummage through your belongings, you took note of his over-sized ears and brown, greasy hair. He wore a union suit and a pair of overalls; that was all that covered his thin, frail-looking body. You grimaced as the man picked up a pair of your drawers and instinctually went to sniff them. Surely there was something you could use as a weapon for self-defence.

His back was turned as he pillaged the chest Arthur stored all of your canned goods in. You scanned the campsite for anything that could be useful to you. Arthur carried all of his guns on his horse. The thief had already pocketed the throwing knives, even if you did have them, there was no guarantee that you would be able to hit him from the riverbank. Firewood wouldn’t work, it would be too difficult to grab some unnoticed. Then you noticed something glinting on the ground; Arthur’s hunting knife.

‘ _Did he seriously leave that here?’_ You thought to yourself with a grin.

You formulated the plan in your head. Sneak over to the knife. Pick up the knife. Stab thief in the back. Simple, right?

Then, you started to question whether you should do anything at all. If the plan went wrong, you would just get into trouble and at worst you would be dead. What would Arthur rather return to; a camp that’s been robbed or a lover that’s been murdered? Perhaps it was worth it to try and save both yourself and the camp, after all, there was only one man to take care of.

You took a deep breath and let your gut instincts decide for you. Closing your eyes, you felt your body lean forward and exit the safety of the tall grass. You prayed for everything to go according to plan. Stepping towards the knife and silently moving into position behind the man was fine. You lifted the knife high into the air and readied yourself to strike; the man was far too preoccupied gorging himself on canned beans than be worried about anyone around him.

You exhaled and brought your hand down to stab the knife into the man’s back. Suddenly, someone came up from behind you and pulled you back by your hair, the knife only slashing the man’s back. You screamed as the person behind you dragged you across the dirt.

“You damn fool! You should’ve been more careful!” You heard from above you. It was a woman; a strong one of that.

The thief looked back and screamed out in pain. “No one was here, I swear it!”

“Well now someone is here and you gotta deal with it!”

“But Ma!” The man whined. “She hurt me real bad!”

The woman holding your hair snarled at the man and snatched the knife from your hand. “Fine, then I’ll deal with her!”

“WAIT!” You shrieked. “Please, don’t do anything drastic now! I was just protectin’ my breeches from some perverted little man!”

You felt the warm blade against your throat. “You’d defend yourself by murderin’ a man in cold blood?”

You tried to smile. “Wouldn’t…Wouldn’t you?”

The woman scoffed and threw you to the ground. You could feel your scalp burning. You looked up in horror at the domineering woman who stood above you. She shared her son’s over-sized ears and wore a creeping smile on her face. Her hair was cut short and greyed at the roots. If her face wasn’t so beautifully sculpted with high cheek bones, a sharp jawline and petite nose, her stocky, muscular frame could have you convinced that she was a man.

“You sure do have a mouth on you, that’s for sure.” She mused. “I like you. What’s your name?”

You told her, sputtering your name to her breathlessly.

“Are you alone, Miss (Your First Name)?” She said, kneeling down in front of you. Her eyes glowed underneath an intense shadow on her face.

“No. I’m with my fiancée.” You lied. “We camped here for the night but when he comes back we’ll be gone.”

“Oh really?” She hissed, coking her head. She could sense the lie, you knew it by the tone in her voice.

You nodded. “We’re travelling north to see my parents. Then, we’ll be getting married.”

The woman reached out and put a hand on your shoulder, you flinched at her touch. She smiled, her eyes staring at you blankly. You eyed the knife which she held in her other hand and gulped.

“Well congratulations, miss.” She smiled. “One question, though.”

“Yes?”

She snatched your wrists and stood up, she pulled you onto your feet. “Why ain’t there no ring on your god damn finger?!” She screamed. With her other hand she brought the knife to your stomach and pressed it hard against your skin. “Are you lying to me, girl?”

Before you could respond with another lie, the woman had sliced through the skin of your stomach. You screamed in pain as she continued to cut into your skin three more times; you’d wondered if your guts would fall out of the wounds. Her son frantically screamed at her.

She paused, glaring at her son and throwing you and the knife down to the ground. You helplessly crawled away from the woman as she marched over to her son.

“What is it? Mama’s busy!” She roared.

The man whined. “Ma, she ain’t lying!” He brandished a gold wedding band from his pocket. “I found this while I was diggin’ around.”

You looked up to the mother and son in shock as they turned their attention to you. The woman frowned.

“Huh…Seemed like a lie.” She sighed. “Oh well, good thing those cuts won’t kill you, Miss (Your First Name).”

Your face soured. Grabbing the knife in one hand and cradling your stomach in the other, you stood to your feet and stared the two down. The old woman seemed almost impressed while her boy hid behind her.

“Darlin’, you’re too cut up to try anything.” She snickered. “What are ya gonna do?”

“Get outta here now!” You roared. “You took what you wanted and nearly gutted me like a fish! Get outta here before my man comes and kills ya!”

The woman laughed. “Fine. I’m leavin’, come on Jim let’s-”

As the woman turned to leave you, a gun shot rang out and the woman toppled to the ground and fell onto her son. The young man screamed in terror, he crawled out from under his mother as her brains bled out all over him. You took the moment to quickly limp your way into the tent and prayed that the shooter wouldn’t harm you.

All you could do was listen as the young man cried and begged for his mother’s safety.

“Oh shit! Ma!” He yelled. “Oh no, no, no! NO! NO!”

Another gunshot rang out, causing the young man to flee the scene, crying loudly. The crying ceased immediately after another gunshot. You curled in on yourself within the tent and tears rolled down your face. The warm, stinging pain from your stomach crept to the rest of your body and you feared bleeding out as you heard a horse approach the campsite. There were heavy footsteps outside as you heard someone pillaging the corpses that were mere inches away from the safety of the canvas.  You held one bloodied hand against your mouth to muffle your sobbing as the footsteps approached the opening of the tent.

You shut your eyes tightly, then a familiar voice rang in your ears as it called out your name. You turned your head to the opening, Arthur was on his knees as he peered into the tent. You began sobbing uncontrollably. Arthur beckoned you out of the tent and you slowly crawled into his embrace.

“You’re alright now, darlin’. You’re okay.” He said patting your back. “I’m here.”

Arthur looked down and shook his head as he spotted the dark pool of blood forming from your chemise and onto his coat. He sighed, reaching into his satchel and looking for something to help your wounds.

“I’m so sorry, Arthur.” You said weakly.

Arthur smiled. “Don’t be sorry. You’re alive, ain’t you?”

As you continued to sob, Arthur tenderly held you close to him as he began to dress your wounds to the best of his ability. With a disgruntled tone in his voice, he mentioned a city not far from where you were camped; there was a doctor and people too stupid to start fights with women.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always lovely. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, can't wait to get started on the next one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You take some time out to heal in the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's call this one a filler episode. Next chapter will be more exciting, I promise.

Your eyes flashed open as you felt a pair of hands lift up your chemise. Jolting upright, you locked eyes with the owner of the strong pair of hands on you. Arthur gave you a weak smile as you frowned at him, then you felt it. A rush of pain fled to your stomach and you groaned as you gently laid back down on the bed.

You sighed deeply. “It’s awfully rude to touch a woman like that when she’s sleeping, Arthur.” You said through painful groans. “Or were you trying to take advantage of me?”

“I’d never…” He gasped.

“I know.” You chuckled, gently patting your stomach. “I’m only teasin’.”

Arthur shook his head at you. “Then do you mind?”

You shrugged and lifted your chemise to expose the horrific slashes on your stomach. Arthur grimaced as he took a damp cloth and gently pat it over the course, red lines. The ointment that the doctor had given you, along with the herbal remedies you tried were helping but the wounds would take a great deal of time to heal completely. The scars left behind would be far more interesting that the story of how you got them.

As Arthur gingerly attended to your wounds, you looked out the hotel window to admire a tiny fraction of the city. What a view; all you could see was the outside of another building. Made of brick and painted dark green, the walls were lavishly decorated with white, Baroque flowers and decadent windows. You wondered what kind of place it was. The sign outside simply read “Brown & Co.”

Cities were starting to become more common and every single one seemed to look to same to you. Claustrophobic and densely packed with all kind of folk; rich, poor, black, white and immigrants of every colour lived here. You found yourself in one of the nicer areas of the city; every building was painted and decorated, the streets had trees along them and all of the men and women who wandered the street were dressed extravagantly. A mere stone’s throw away was the part of town where the foreigners and coloured folk lived, their houses densely packed together and the markets overflowed with remarkable items.

You seemed to blend in rather well with the other ladies in the city. Perfectly charming and decently dressed for a lady unable to wear a corset. Arthur on the other hand, stood out like a sore thumb. All of the men you had seen were slim in frame with well-groomed moustaches and fine clothes. Meanwhile, Arthur’s hair had been getting quite long and his clothes were covered in a thin layer of dirt. He’d completely neglected to shave in all the time you had been here. For all the washed out colours of the city, you were glad that Arthur stood out from the crowd. Though you couldn’t help but feel alienated by everyone else, it was slowly starting to get to you.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur said, pulling down your chemise. “Do you think we’ll be able to move on soon?”

You tried to smile. “It still hurts but the doctor said I can walk about so long as we’re careful.”

Arthur nodded in approval. He had done as much as he could out in the wilderness before coming to the city. The two week journey was agony, riding a horse while trying not to tear open your wounds was a difficult task. Once you arrived, you were bed-ridden for two entire weeks. Doctor’s orders. All this time, Arthur was right by your side and tending to your every need.

He could have gone to a saloon or gambled more than he had. You could only recall two occasions where he had left your side to entertain himself.

Arthur pulled out some bandages from his satchel. “You think you’ll need these?”

“It won’t kill me to have em, I guess.” You shrugged.

Arthur smiled softly as he tenderly helped you sit up on the bed and pull you onto your feet. As you lifted your chemise, Arthur gently wrapped the bandages around your stomach and you giggled at the ticklish sensation of his hands tracing your body. You could have easily done this yourself but where was the fun in that? When he finished, he kissed your stomach and pulled down the fabric to cover your exposed flesh. He beamed at you and kissed your forehead.

“I think you’ll be okay.” He affirmed. “We’ll need a good story for those scars though.”

“I thought you liked the one where I was attacked by a wolf.” You chuckled. “Changed your mind, did you?”

“A wolf attack isn’t a very interesting story.” He sighed. “And besides, the lines are too precise to be wolves.”

You rolled your eyes. “A woman tried to gut me like a fish, isn’t that interesting enough?”

“I guess.” He shrugged.

You pushed past him and made your way to the closet. “It’s not like anyone is gonna see it but you. Where and when would any normal person be lookin’ at my bare stomach anyways?”

“Making love?” He put a hand over his eyes as you changed into your dress. “Taking a bath?”

“Arthur!” You gasped. “Don’t be crude.”

This had been the longest you’d been in a city since you met Arthur; memories of your home were faint yet uncomfortable to say the least. You father had died horrifically when you were young, leaving the only men in your life to be your brother and the string of numerous unrequited loves; all of whom had bitten a bullet in the war. These days you could hardly remember his name, it had been so long since you needed to say it but you would always remember his face and the goofy grin he gave you before he left for the war. He didn’t care what side he was fighting for, he just wanted to fight. Your mother was about as loving to you as a feral animal, so once your brother had died, you were on your own.  Lucky for you, once your real family had all but left you, another came charging into your life with open arms.

You looked back to Arthur who still had his hand over his eyes and smiled. You knew virtually nothing of his family other than he surely had a mother and a father at some point in his life. You wondered if Arthur ever considered having a family of his own.

“Are you taking me to the doctor today?” You asked softly, prompting Arthur to uncover his eyes. “His opinion won’t change, you know.”

“We need to get goin’.” Arthur grunted. “I can’t stay in this damn room in this damn city any longer.”

You cocked a brow. “Did something happen?”

“No, nothing’s happened.” He sighed. “And that’s exactly why I wanna go. We can’t get too comfortable here.”

“And here I thought you liked the city, cowboy.” You smirked at him. “We’re just here until the doctor says we can move on. I don’t want to risk dying out there, Arthur.”

Arthur scratched the back of his head and looked to his feet. “Well, I hope he says we can move on then.”

You sighed, carefully wandering over towards him. It still hurt to move about, Arthur had no idea what kind of pain you were feeling at this moment. You put both of your hands on his bearded cheeks and delicately kissed him. He tenderly nipped at you cheek as he put a hand on your forearm.

“Are you sure you’re right to go out yet?” He said softly. “I can get the doctor to come up here instead.”

Smiling sweetly at him, you bolted to the door, pretending as if your stomach was reeling in pain. “Don’t be silly, Arthur.” You beamed at him. “We ain’t never getting’ out of here if I’m in bed all day!”

Arthur grinned at you, picking up his hat and following you out of the hotel.

It had been a while since you had felt the dense and rank city air in your lungs, you almost missed the dusty and still air of the hotel room. But outside there was so much to see; horses, people, buildings, bars, coaches, musicians and salesmen. The tiny window looking out into the world couldn’t have shown you just how busy this city was. Everyone had somewhere to be and they needed to get there quickly.

You coldly ignored the people brushing past you, you were too busy cradling your wounds. Meanwhile, Arthur felt it necessary to greet anyone and everyone he made eye contact with. People seemed pleasantly surprised that such a mean-looking man could be so gentle and kind to them. Perhaps they were so used to men like him being foul and sorry excuses for human beings. Coloured folk seemed greatly taken aback by Arthur’s pleasant greetings and salutations, it was like he was the only white man to have noticed them at all. Ladies walking by seemed to gasp and chuckle as they walked past you. You grimaced as you locked eyes with them. It was hard to tell whether or not they were laughing at you, or at Arthur but regardless you were not impressed. Your blood boiled when some gave him suggestive or even disgusted looks.

A familiar looking pole caught your eye. White, red and blue. You stopped in your tracks.

“Arthur.” You said quickly. “Let’s take a moment.”

He jumped into action and to your side. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

You looked to the door beside you.

‘Barber’

“Nothing’s wrong dear, I just thought you’d like a shave.” You smiled.

He scratched at his beard. “We should really be getting to the doctor first.”

You grinned wider. “A lady like me will not be seen with a ruffian like you, Mr Morgan.”

He glared at you. “I thought you liked the beard.”

“We’re in civilised society, Arthur. It’s best that we look like them too. It’ll help us blend in.”

He stared blankly at you. “You’re just gonna make me look scarier to these people. The beard hides my face.”

You frowned at him. “If the lord is kind to you, the barber will cut your damn throat out. Now get in there, right now!” You barked at him, laughing as you pushed him into the barbershop. You couldn’t keep a straight face when you said mean things like that to him; you never meant a word of it.

“But you told me you liked the beard, woman!” He chuckled as the bell rang through the shop.

The barber laughed. “You’d best do as she says, mister. You know how women are.”

Perhaps it was your own insecurity brought on by city women judging you and Arthur, but as much as you did enjoy Arthur’s masculine facial hair, rough looking men like him could never blend in in a place like this. At the very least, you could look somewhat presentable. You paid for a shave and a haircut for Arthur and after twenty minutes the long hair had fallen gently to the floor. You couldn’t help but smile; that barber shaved off almost ten years off of his damn face.

“Happy?” Arthur said, sarcastically twirling in front of you. “Can we go now?”

You looked to the barber. “Shoulda done me a favour and slit his throat.” You said, snickering.

He chuckled. “What a woman!” The barber swept Arthur’s hair away from the chair. “You sure are a lucky man, sir. She your wife?” He asked softly.

Your face flushed red and you looked down to the ground. You couldn’t tell if that was butterflies in your stomach or pus seeping out of your wounds but you held your stomach tighter.

“Sure is.” Arthur said confidently.

You smiled softly at the back of his freshly trimmed head of hair. More often than not, you would be the one to confidently announce that you were married but the tables had turned. At times you had to remind yourself that you two were in fact, unmarried.

You remained completely silent as Arthur walked you out of the barber shop and to the doctor. Arthur hardly seemed phased by your silence, it seemed as if he preferred it this way. He would have also preferred the doctor to say ‘yup, you’re free to go’ but we can’t always have what we want.

It looked like you were going to be spending more time in the city. You stayed completely silent after the doctor’s visit, mostly because your stomach continued to hurt. Whatever ointment the doctor put on the wounds this time, it stung like a bitch.

You came into an alleyway behind and sat down on a step. Arthur hovered over you.

“You’ve barely said a word. Are you alright?” He said softly, resting a hand on your shoulder.

You gripped your stomach tighter. “I need to go home!” You cried out. “It hurts too much.”

 “Home?” He scoffed. Arthur sighed and kneeled down beside you. “Are you going to be able to walk? We’re not too far away from the hotel.”

“Just give me a minute!” You hissed.

A gaggle of women walking by stopped in their tracks and looked over to you. You blushed, embarrassed by your public outburst. They came closer and stood behind Arthur.

“Are you alright, dear?” A woman asked.

You took some deep breaths and rubbed your eyes. “I should be fine, but lord do I need to lie down.”

The oldest woman smiled sweetly at you. “Everything will be alright, dear.” Her voice was so sweet and breathy, you could have sworn she was singing to you. “I remember what it was like for me. If I can do it, you can do it.”

Arthur frowned. “What the hell would you know about what she’s going through right now!?”

Every single woman behind him frowned. “My good sir, I think I know a thing or two about pregnancy! I have three sons!”

Arthur’s face went bright red and he looked directly to your stomach. His eyes widened. “Oh…Right.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I apologise.”

The woman laughed, giving you a comforting look before walking off with the others. “Men!” She laughed.

You breathed in deeply and slowly. After a few seconds the pain became somewhat bearable, you continued to press your hands over your stomach. Arthur reached out his hand and gently rested it on yours, his fingers tenderly rubbing against your knuckles.

Arthur didn’t look at you as he spoke. “Could you imagine?” He paused, a smile gently curling on his lips. “Us…Raising a family.”

He stared blankly at your stomach, his fingers gently caressing the fabric of your dress.

“It’s a stupid thought, ain’t it?” He coughed.

You cocked your head to the side. “You really believe that, Arthur?”

He looked you in the eyes and smiled weakly. “I’m honestly not so sure I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated. I hope you guys enjoyed this one!

**Author's Note:**

> I would seriously appreciate some feedback on this one; I was so intimidated by the amazing writers out there writing 'Arthur/Reader' that I sat on this story for days waiting to post it. I also just love reading comments from lovely individuals.
> 
> I'm unsure if I want to take this in a NSFW/Smut direction entirely, or at least explicitly. Let me know what you think.


End file.
